More Than Human
by Orpheus Kidwell
Summary: Orochimaru, that Snake, he did things to me I WISH I could forget. Still, he gave me the power to protect nii-san, and that's what matters. I would go through a thousand more years of torment if it meant I could protect my family. Other people don't really understand me, but how could they? They're only human. I'm... so much more than that, more than them.
1. Chapter I: Let's Make a Deal, Old Man

**More Than Human**

 **Heya! Orpheus here!**

 **This might look like a story, but I assure you I'm only testing the waters and want to get the reactions of the readers on this sort of thing. If it looks like most of you enjoy it, I'll actually continue it, if not I'll leave it be for some time before coming back to it. So, meh.**

 **Anywho, I** _ **would**_ **like your thoughts on this sort of thing, so I'll go ahead and let you immerse yourselves!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

 **Chapter I: Let's Make a Deal, Old Man**

"Hokage-sama! I think there are survivors in here!" A Cat-masked ANBU exclaimed. A team of six ANBU and the Hokage had been gathered to perform a sting operation on Orochimaru of the Sannin. The Snake Summoner had been found to be performing experiments on men, women and children of all ages, social statuses, station and economic standing indiscriminately. When confronted in his underground lab, the man had confessed before fleeing Konoha.

After searching through much of the lab, dozens - if not hundreds - of corpses had been found along with notes on many finished, ongoing and planned experiments. The base itself expanded vertically, going deeper and deeper underground. Neko found herself on the fifth floor beneath the surface - along with the rest of the team - when she had come across a pair of humans that still showed not only signs of life, but were staring right back at her. "Where are th-?" The Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, found his sentence dropping off quickly.

The man was old, at least in his seventies, and had all the wrinkles and liver spots one might expect on someone so old. Atop his head was a mess of grey hair that matched his beard. He was wearing his famous armor he donned during the Shinobi Wars while his helmet was in his hand as he had been wiping sweat from his brow just a moment earlier. Underground rooms could get very humid. His brown eyes were wide in disbelief as he stared at the two living experiments locked inside a spacious cage - but still a cage nonetheless - that looked like it could hold fifty full grown men before they were packed like sardines.

The first was a boy of possibly fifteen or sixteen with light brown hair and matching eyes that looked at the group with hope-filled eyes. The second was a boy of only five or six with spikes of blonde-tipped, but otherwise bright red hair and violet eyes which seemed to be analyzing the old man and the ANBU, obviously untrusting. Both of the boys were completely naked, but seemed unabashed even with all seven members of the team staring at them.

"Who are you?" The redhead asked venomously to those gathered. "Are you here to give us false hope just for Orochimaru to reveal it's a psychological experiment to bring out our bloodlines again? That Snake really needs to learn how to come up with more original plans." Hiruzen approached the cage, sadness filling his eyes as he could only imagine what these two had gone through. Even then, it might not come close to what his wayward student had done.

"No, we are here to bring you out of here." Hiruzen told the boy. It was a little odd that the younger one was standing protectively in front of the teenager though. As he came closer, he noticed a trio of whisker-like markings on either of his cheeks. For some reason he thought the feature was familiar, but ignored it in lieu of making the boy comfortable. "Fukuro, please pick the lock and let the two of them out. Tora, Ushi, please unseal your cloaks and let them wear them. Neko, would you mind taking them to the ANBU base and watching over them until we finish here?" Each of the four members he called out nodded assent and performed their duties.

Within a minute, the two boys were freed, somewhat clothed and shunshined away to somewhere they would be safe. "Orochimaru, what have you done to those boys?" Hiruzen had to ask himself.

 **[Two Hours Later - ANBU Base]**

When Hiruzen finally arrived to the ANBU Base where the two survivors were, he felt a decade older. Seventeen floors. Seventeen floors, each worse than the last, filled with hundreds upon hundreds of experiments where the successes seemed to be just as horrific as the failures. Either his student had been doing this little by little over a period of many years but became greedy and slipped up or he had been doing much, much work in a short period of time. Hiruzen wasn't sure which was worse, to be honest.

When he finally was able to get to the base, he was disappointed that no one else found was as close to surviving as the first two boys. There were people that lived, but he was sure the medics would be at it for weeks - if not months - to stabilize their conditions. Until he talked to the boys he wouldn't know the reason why they were in such good shape though. It could be that they had less extreme experiments, or perhaps that they had some sort of bloodline to help them heal, or anything in between.

So lost in his own thoughts was Hiruzen that he didn't notice one of the very boys he was thinking of standing before him. "Neko told me who you are, Old Man." The voice brought Hiruzen from his thoughts and he looked down at the redhead who so reminded him of someone, but he couldn't quite place his finger on it. He just smiled at the boy. He noted that he was now wearing clothes, though it was simply a very small ANBU uniform without the mask or armor that usually went with it. He would need to get ahold of something else for those two.

"So, you're the one that not only trained that monster, but you let him go too?" The cold analysis might as well have been a slap to the Hokage's face. "My brother is so afraid that he is hiding in every shadow because of you. You let someone like that operate in the village you are supposedly protecting. Seeing as how he ran from this place though, it seems that Orochimaru is too scared to have a confrontation here. That means this place offers _some_ measure of safety, I suppose. Somehow I convinced my brother of that anyways."

"Konoha is the safest place for the both of you, I can assure you of that." Hiruzen explained to the boy. It was odd how he spoke, as if he was much older than he was. "Especially the ANBU base here. The location is only known to those in the Black Ops itself and those retired from it are branded with a memory seal to forget where it is precisely. Then there are certain, trusted individuals that I handpick myself who know where certain branches are. There are maybe less than 300 people in the entire world who know where this is, but only seven people, aside from Orochimaru, even know of your existence."

This seemed to somewhat satisfy the boy and he nodded before walking down the hall in the direction Hiruzen had been going. He followed behind him, pondering what to ask. "May I ask what to call you and your brother?" He asked the young boy. The redhead was silent a moment before speaking.

"Orochimaru only called us by our Experiment Identification Number." He explained to the man, which caused Hiruzen to feel even worse about letting the Snake Sannin go. "However, my brother and I gave ourselves names. My brother decided on Yamato because it was the name of a place he said he could remember, though he doesn't know exactly when he had been there. When I found out that the Snake absolutely hated the Fourth Hokage, I was tempted to take the name Minato, but instead I found out that the Yondaime had a son who died during the Kyuubi attack named Naruto. I decided to take his name, just to mess with Orochimaru."

"How did you hear about that from dozens of meters below Konoha?" Hiruzen wondered curiously.

"It was from that Snake. His experiments gave Yamato and I bloodlines. Yamato can use the Shodaime's Mokuton. I, on the other hand, can access and manipulate every single cell in my body, every organ, every tissue, every bone, it's all under my control. Orochimaru never named it but I've been doing my own experiments with it. I can sharpen my hearing by blocking out my other four senses for a time and by accessing cells in my brain I can remember every single sound with perfect clarity and figure them out one by one. I never forget anything, I cannot forget anything even if I wanted, due to my ability."

"That does explain how you speak like a fully grown adult." Hiruzen muttered. "So, you can control every part of your body in any way you want?" He asked, to which Naruto nodded his head. "That seems highly risky. You could accidentally kill yourself if you are not careful." The redhead shrugged.

"Orochimaru manipulated my DNA before even trying this experiment to bring out my Uzumaki side of the family and had it basically wipe away the other side of my family's genetics. For all intents and purposes, I am a full-blooded Uzumaki with all of the benefits that brings out. Even if I were to make a fatal mistake that I couldn't fix on my own, my body will heal any problems it encounters through rapid cellular regeneration. It has already happened on multiple occasions."

"I see. Well, I will have Neko give the two of you a room here until we are certain no harm will come to you. I will also have clothing brought to the both of you. If we can possibly find your families, I will reunite you with them, but if not the village does have a few properties that are reserved for orphaned shinobi-in-training. If either of you wish to take up training, then I would be more than able to grant you a space for the two of you." Naruto looked at the old man and nodded.

"I will do it. I can hide my bloodline with ease, but Yamato has yet to be able to control his. I will speak to him about it and if he so wishes to become a ninja, I will only let him if you can provide someone who would be able to teach him to at least keep it hidden. I may be younger than Yamato-nii, but it is my role to protect him from those who would take advantage of him." The Hokage - though surprised - nodded his assent and left to locate Neko as Naruto continued moving down the hall. Hiruzen was unsure where he was off to, but as long as he stayed in the base it didn't matter too much.

 **[Konohagakure Residential District - Two Weeks Later]**

"Are you sure about this, Naruto?" Yamato asked the younger boy as they stood in front of the door to their new apartment. It was on the ground floor and the Hokage had just sent a message to them through Neko that this was where they would be staying for the foreseeable future. Apparently it was a two bedroom that was pre-furnished with everything they would need. Groceries would be delivered every two weeks and they would also get a monthly stipend to spend how they wanted so long as Naruto passed all his classes. The higher his grades, the more he would receive the following semester.

"Of course I'm sure, Yamato-nii. We have no family, no friends and don't know anything about this village. If I train to become a ninja at the Academy, then I will be able to keep us sheltered, fed and even give us some money on the side. I promised you that I would take care of us already, didn't I? You may be older than me, but I'm smarter and more mature, so I'll be the one to support our family. I know that you're scared of dying after everything _he_ did to us too, so you don't have to become a ninja. Just learn to control your Mokuton and live a normal life, alright?"

Yamato seemed hesitant but nodded his head, finally. Naruto smiled to his surrogate brother and opened the door, allowing the brunette to enter first. He quickly followed behind him, locking the no less than three physical and four seal-based locks he had convinced the Hokage to place on the apartment. As he finally got a look at the den, he noted a sofa and a mid-size television and two lamps on either side of the sofa; the kitchen was simple: an oven, microwave, toaster and refrigerator as well as multiple cabinets and a pantry; the dining room was just a table with four chairs - apparently the Hokage thought they'd have guests in the near future - though it appeared able to seat eight; finally were the bedrooms - both identical for now - which had a bed, two desks, a closet full of clothing and some shelving on one of the walls. Decorating would be a long-term affair, for sure, but eventually they would make this place theirs.

"I like it." Yamato commented to his brother, who scoffed with a barely suppressed laugh. "What? You don't like it?" This time, Naruto didn't try to keep his laughter down at all as he chuckled.

"I would take even the streets over our last abode at this point. That cage was the bottom of the barrel, Yamato-nii. Just because we're out of that madhouse, don't let your guard down though. The Hokage promised to keep us guarded by an ANBU each at all times, but that doesn't mean that we're safe. When I become a ninja, I can't count on them to follow me outside the village. So I'll become strong enough to protect both of us from anything. You just live a normal life."

Yamato seemed a bit nervous before nodding with a smile. "Alright, Naruto. I'll do as you say, but you better not make me use my Mokuton to save you. Okay?" The redhead nodded with a slight grin. "I haven't seen you smile like that in a long time… what's going on?"

"Oh, it's nothing. I'm just happy for a change. We're out of that prison and not under strict surveillance from the ANBU anymore. We've got our own place and my brother is going to get to live a normal life. Everything is going great, Yamato. I mean, I have to deal with a bunch of children when I start school tomorrow, but besides that everything seems to be looking up."

Yamato smiled at his younger brother figure, nodding. "Yeah. Everything really is looking up, but that isn't hard to do considering where we were for the last six years. I still think it will be a good experience for us though."

 **[Konohagakure Shinobi Academy - First Day of Classes]**

Naruto found himself sighing as he sat at his desk in room 1-4 at the very front and center of the room. He had a feeling that it might get boring rather quickly given how fast he learned things, but this was all a part of his deal with the Hokage, so it wasn't like he had much of a choice in the matter. Thanks to said old man, Naruto had got a new wardrobe instead of wearing that ANBU uniform. He had switched to a dark blue shirt with the Uzumaki swirl on either shoulder with short sleeves and a pair of matching shorts with a ninja pouch on each leg. On his hands were fingerless gloves of the same color with steel bracers extending from just below his knuckles back halfway to his elbows while he wore a pair of sandals on his feet, his legs wrapped up in bandages.

He couldn't help but notice the people around him and he was not impressed. The only people worth noting were the Aburame and Inuzuka clan heirs and a branch member of the Hyuuga and Uchiha clans, in his opinion. Everyone else seemed to be either civilian-born or non-clan shinobi born. That didn't inherently make them less powerful, but it made them less interesting to him.

It was then that the Chuunin instructor walked in. He had long, silvery-white hair that ran past his shoulders, black eyes and a dark blue cap atop his head where the steel plate with Konohagakure's emblem denoting its shinobi forces was placed. Aside from that, he wore the generic Chuunin uniform of vest over blue shirt and pants and sandals. "Alright class, welcome to your first day of the next six years of your life. I am your sensei, Mizuki. Today will be simple and involve very little lecturing on my part. I will be giving you a pre-examination test to test your current knowledge and see whether this, or a different class, would be your best fit. This test comes in three stages. The first is a written portion, the second is a practical portion and the third is a sparring session. Each of these is optional, but be warned that not taking part will send you to the remedial classes. I wish you the best of luck. Perhaps we'll see if another Itachi is among you!"

 **[Hokage Office]**

Sarutobi Hiruzen heard the knock at his door and couldn't help but give a sigh of relief. He had been doing non-stop paperwork all day - as usual - and _very much_ needed a break. "Come in." He announced, watching as Dr. Kurai Sakamoto walked in. He was of average height with a pineapple ponytail of black hair, grey eyes and wore a lab coat over his clothing. In his right hand was a clipboard filled with many sheets of paper that Sakamoto was looking over rather feverishly.

"Hokage-sama, as you ordered, I have completed all the normal procedures. I have done blood analysis, genetic analysis, searched for any potential illnesses and diseases - both temporary and untreatable, and I have the results for you. I thought it best if I _personally_ hand it off to you though, with my own professional assessment, given the _severity_ of what I have found." Hiruzen certainly found his interest piqued by what Sakamoto had said and motioned him to continue.

"According to my findings, the stories of Naruto and Yamato check out. Yamato certainly has the Shodaime's Mokuton and Naruto is a full-blooded Uzumaki. Their genetic coding matches up with the samples that are in our data banks well enough for me to state that with absolute certainty. That is enough for me to state that, should Tsunade die before having an heir, that the two would become next in line for the Senjuu Clan and Naruto almost certainly is next in line to inherit the Uzumaki Clan holdings." When Hiruzen seemed about to speak, Sakamoto held up his hand to hold off the question. "According to Naruto, Orochimaru caused his mother's Uzumaki genetics to become dominant and force his father's side of the family to become nearly non-existent. I was curious about that, so I ran his DNA through a cross-analysis of all Uzumaki that we have in our computers and there was only one possible woman who matches his own genetics. This Naruto Uzumaki _is_ Naruto Uzumaki. He is the son of Kushina Uzumaki and Minato Namikaze, heir to Uzu no Kuni and all of its holdings by blood and heir to the Senjuu Clan and all of its holdings by law should the current head produce no heirs. His blood also shows all the signs that his mother did. Hokage-sama, Yondaime-sama succeeded in sealing the Kyuubi away into his son before the death of him and Kushina-hime."

Hiruzen's eyes widened considerably at the declaration. As Dr. Sakamoto handed him the clipboard, he scanned over the notes, the comparisons between genetics and everything of importance that Sakamoto had included. After scanning over it and putting what he knew of medical science to use, he set the clipboard down and made eye contact with the doctor. "Sakamoto-sensei, I will have to ask you to keep this secret. Do not allow anyone to learn of anything you have told me, especially the identity of Naruto's parents." Dr. Sakamoto nodded his head, understanding the importance of this information.

 **[Residence of Naruto and Yamato]**

"I'm home!" Naruto announced as he walked through the door to his shared apartment, the redhead spotted his brother sitting at the table with the Hokage, Mizuki-sensei and a woman he hadn't seen before. She had shoulder-length black hair, bright red eyes, pale skin and wore an odd dress that seemed to be made out of a sash wrapped several times over her body with a V-neckline where mesh could be spotted beneath and a single, red sleeve on her right arm. If Naruto had to guess, she looked to be in her early twenties. "Hello there, nii-san. Mizuki-sensei. Old Man." He looked at the young woman, who smiled.

"Yuuhi Kurenai." She responded.

"How have you been acclimating to the Academy?" Hiruzen asked the redhead, who shrugged as he sat at the table. "Mizuki here tells me that you have easily excelled and are currently unchallenged as the top student in your classes, in every subject. You haven't missed a single question on any test and have never made the same mistake twice. You've even beat the Inuzuka heir in taijutsu, despite no formal training of your own."

"Those are all explained by my eidetic memory." Naruto replied easily, gaining the attention of everyone but Yamato, who was calmly sipping tea. "Orochimaru's experiments allow me to access and manipulate every cell in my body, which includes my brain cells. I believe I explained this to you already, Old Man. I can't forget anything, even if I wanted to. I mean, I suppose I could purge the cells that contain a memory, but I'd rather not lose any knowledge that possibly provides an advantage." Mizuki widened his eyes before chuckling, nodding his head.

"Yes, that certainly explains a lot. Still, it provides a distinct advantage and we shinobi are meant to utilize every potential advantage we can get our hands on."

"Quite. With that in mind, I thought it apt to give you a… special type of training. You see, Kurenai-chan here also excelled in her own class when she was in the Academy. She may not be the genius Uchiha Itachi or Hatake Kakashi are, but I assure you she is more than capable of this. I would like to offer you the chance to be tutored by her and take the graduation examination at the end of the year, moving at the pace you choose for your training instead of one that relies on others in your class." Naruto looked at the three adults, and then at Yamato, who smiled.

"I can't say I'm opposed to the idea. However, would this not alter the deal we've come to regarding my grades affecting the monthly allowance posted to our account?" Naruto wondered, causing the Hokage to smile slightly.

"Do not worry, given you are performing six years worth of learning within the span of six months, I will have the equivalent funds wired for a year worth of exceptional grades each month. You will not be losing any economic advantage if you take this deal." Naruto smiled, glancing at Yamato, before nodding. "Splendid. I will allow your new sensei to take it from here, if you don't mind. I have to head back to the office, but I thank you for the tea and conversation, Yamato-chan." Yamato nodded his head as the Hokage got up.

"I also must be leaving. It may be a weekend, but I really must be preparing my classes for the coming week and finish some grading. I hope for the best in your future endeavors, Naruto-kun. I also cannot wait to see just what you accomplish in the coming years." With that, the two white-haired men left the abode, leaving three. That was, until, Yamato also stood.

"As for me, I've got my own work to do. I have plenty to study if I'm going to get into university. Apparently, the entrance exam is of one of the highest standards in all of the Elemental Nations here at Konoha University. I have freshly brewed tea in the kitchen and the two of you can help yourself to whatever food we have. Good luck, otouto." Yamato ruffled Naruto's hair with a smile, before heading upstairs to his room.

Finally, only two individuals remained. "I see you already have some tea, so shall we simply get down to business, Kurenai-sensei?" The ravenette smiled at his no-nonsense attitude and nodded. "Frankly, I detest the weekends. I never have anything to do when the Academy is out, especially since Yamato is attempting to becoming an architect and I won't do anything to halt his progress. After two months in the Academy, I've tried everything to find something to fill the gaps, but the children don't understand me, the adults don't take me seriously and the only decent thing to do is read at the library. As a student, I get a certain amount of freedom, but I have to stay within the First Year section. When I say that everything there is far too elementary for my liking, I am not exaggerating. About the only things I find of interest there are the alchemy and history sections, as I have a firm grasp on essentially everything else there."

Kurenai looked at the boy, who had just gone on a small rant about being bored on the weekends, and her eyes lit up as she understood. "So, you'd prefer to work on your skills as many days of the week as possible, if I'm understanding your correctly?" Naruto nodded, which urged Kurenai to continue. "Hm… I can't be available all seven days of the week, but I believe I can work something out given a few weeks. Depending on how quickly you excel, I might bring a few friends in to help out every so often, if you're alright with that?"

"Of course I am. 'A child is raised by the entire village.'" He quoted something he'd read in the many books he'd gotten ahold of. "Do you have any idea what we will be starting with? Or when we will start, for that matter?"

"I do, actually. We will begin at six o'clock sharp tomorrow morning at Training Ground 3 with a few activities that will allow me, along with your Academy files, to assess where you are in terms of skill, knowledge and ability. I have been informed of your special ability, so I'll factor that into my assessment as well." Naruto nodded to that, thinking about what he had, and hadn't, told the Hokage about his abilities.

 **[Flashback: One Month Ago]**

"You wished to see me, Old Man?" Naruto asked as he found himself in the Hokage's office for the first time.

"Yes, I have a few questions I'd like to ask you about your… bloodline." Naruto nodded. He was honestly surprised this hadn't come sooner. With how much the hidden villages emphasized their bloodliners, it was odd that he hadn't been called upon sooner. "Given you have the ability to manipulate all of your cells at will, could you tell me whether that allows you to activate any latent bloodlines within your body?"

This, for the first time, brought about a new expression on Naruto's face. He shut his eyes and made it appear as if he was concentrating, or thinking, but the reality was much different. _Did he somehow find out? I only just found out about it when I fought that Kiba kid and his skin cells transferred to my body. No, even Orochimaru hadn't tested for it yet. I do want to get to the highest branches of the shinobi forces, but letting them know_ that _particular power would only cause troubles._ "Maybe." He finally answered noncommittally. "I'm not entirely sure if I can since the Uzumaki genetics of mine were activated by Orochimaru's experiments. I don't know if he did it, or it happened because of my bloodline. I just know that my latent bloodlines are already active."

Hiruzen nodded at this. "I see… I suppose that, given the results are already there, it wouldn't matter either way. My second question for you is, do you know your exact genetics since you can access your cells?" Naruto shook his head.

"I know the structures, I know some of their functions, but I couldn't possibly know who my Uzumaki and non-Uzumaki parent is without comparing it to the genetic structure of other Uzumaki." The Hokage hummed in thought before sighing.

"I see. Lastly, I'd like to know some of the things your bloodline can do. I'm not asking you for the entire transcript of your abilities, just something that will give me a general idea of what sort of role you might have in a team."

"I see, of course. From the things that I have found out, I can enhance my sensory organs through various means, I can mimic the physical characteristics of anything biological in nature if I get a sample of their cells - such as a toad's tongue or a hawk's sight, I can alter my skeletal and muscular system to give myself any build I need and as much strength or speed as the situation calls for, I can take the physical form of any being I can imagine by changing my cellular makeup, I can heal myself through rapid cellular splitting and even heal and remove negative aspects of the body of others by pushing my cells into them. I'm almost certain that I haven't even scratched the surface yet, however. I'll need more time to figure out any advanced abilities. I hope you understand." Hiruzen nodded. His student's work was truly amazing, even though its process was abhorrent.

"Thank you, Naruto-kun. You are dismissed."

 **[Present Time]**

What he hadn't told the Hokage was that he was pretty sure he could do something else with genetics. When he had gotten into a sparring match with the branch Hyuuga from his class, the girl had used her Byakugan to fight him. When their skin made contact… he saw something. The skin cells had transferred between them thanks to their trading of blows and that's when he realized it. Her cellular structure had entered his body, and his white cells quickly neutralized the foreign agent. They had done one other thing; analyzed them.

When class let out that day, he went back to the one place he knew no one would find him: Orochimaru's old laboratory. It had become a safe haven of sorts for when he wanted to be alone. With the information his white cells had gained from their assimilation of the foreign cells, he spotted the genetic coding of Nagi's DNA and found several variants that weren't in his own. Most of them were mundane: chromosomes for appearance, inherited intelligence and diseases, things of that nature. However, he also found the sequence necessary for the Byakugan. When he rearranged particular parts of his _own_ sequence, he found that his vision expanded. He could see _everything_ around himself for several dozen meters!

It explained why, after fighting Kiba, he'd been able to enhance his senses without needing to block any of the others off. His body had been passively scanning the cells of every organism he touched, and it was a distinct advantage he held over every other ninja in the village. Needless to say, he challenged every other student in the class over the course of the last few weeks. It enhanced his style, for sure, but it also gave him to opportunity to see into the genetic structure of both clanless and clan-born ninja and to see the differences that came up because of it. He only gained access to four full bloodlines - the Aburame Hivemind, the Inuzuka Dogkin, the Hyuuga Byakugan and the Uchiha Sharingan - but he was also able to see things about his classmates he hadn't before. He saw their lineage all the way back to common ancestors, he saw diseases, he saw latent bloodlines and how genetics affected chakra in every aspect. He understood that genetics were _everything_ to a ninja.

Which made him curious. Who exactly did he have in his lineage? The easiest way to learn that would be to gain access to as many different samples of genetic coding, wouldn't it? He would just- "Naruto-kun?" The redhead shook those thoughts as his new sensei spoke to him.

"I apologize, Kurenai-sensei. I was just thinking about something the Old Man said to me. I will be there early in the morning, do not worry. I have no wish to slow my progress at all. The quicker I can ascend the ranks to keep my nii-san safe, the better." The red-eyed woman smiled at that and stood.

"I'm glad to see you two are so close. I look forward to seeing you in the morning. Have a good rest of your evening." Naruto nodded as she left, then looked at the cups that Hiruzen, Mizuki and Kurenai had been using before activating his Byakugan. He could see where their saliva still was and smiled. _One sample at a time._


	2. Chapter II: Entrance Exam

**More Than Human**

 **Heya again!**

 **Wow, I did** _ **not**_ **expect this sort of support from all of you. 20 reviews already?! How could I not write the next chapter up after so much support? Of course I'm going to continue this now!**

 **Chapter II: Entrance Exam**

 **[Training Ground 3, 6 AM]**

As soon as Naruto arrived, he could feel something… off about the area. He didn't know quite what it was, but something just seemed wrong about the training ground. Training Ground 3 was below average in terms of the size of training grounds went, with an area of only about 2 square kilometers. It was themed after the rocky wastes of Iwa, and so had very jagged outcroppings of stone, cliff faces that rose up high, plateaus, canyons and tunnels. In a word, it reeked of danger to the redhead. Anyone could be hiding anywhere. After thinking about it for only a moment, Naruto altered his genetics momentarily. **"Byakugan."** He muttered and allowed his vision to extend and expand, looking through the natural cover provided by the terrain. It was then that he spotted why the area felt so _off_.

Deactivating his dojutsu, Naruto grabbed a senbon from a pouch on his hip and threw it as he turned around. "Good morning, sensei." He greeted, knowing she wouldn't allow herself to be hit by the aim of an Academy student. She was far too agile for that. Kurenai materialized, stepping from her invisibility genjutsu with a soft smile on her lips.

"I see your perception is sharp enough to detect such a low-level illusion. Though the way you spotted it was quite… odd. Did those experiments give you a little more than Uzumaki bloodlines, perhaps?" The ravenette wondered. The light in his eyes seemed to… die at her words. From his behind back, he palmed a kunai into his hand, ready for anything. "You thought I wouldn't notice just because your back was turned? I've been around enough Hyuuga to tell what the Byakugan feels like by feeling chakra." Sighing, he grit his teeth. "Why don't you tell me how you gained that particular dojutsu? If I understand how your abilities work, I can teach you more efficiently." At the look of confusion in Naruto's eyes, Kurenai couldn't help but chuckle. "Did you think I was going to do something to you or rat you out? Hokage-sama had a feeling that your ability to manipulate your cells would… _interact_ oddly if you came into contact with other genetic coding. I was told you might exhibit the traits of other bloodlines Orochimaru might have introduced into your body."

Naruto nodded. _Okay… this might work into my favor then…_ "I didn't know if I could trust the Old Man, so I didn't want to tell him everything. By the time I thought I might be able to, I wasn't sure what would happen if anyone in the village found out about it though." Naruto explained. "I don't know exactly what Orochimaru did to me, but I do know that I have a few… abilities that are similar to some clans, things that I can't explain with my ability to manipulate my cells. I don't actually have the Byakugan, at least I don't think I do. It's more… I can use something similar to it, something that allows me to see everything around myself, but without the penetrative vision." He lied.

Kurenai nodded. "And it allows you to see chakra, or through genjutsu. Interesting… you might actually be able to gain the full Byakugan if you could alter the genetic coding inside your cells though…" The red-eyed woman pondered. This was not good… The whole point of his lie was to keep her - and the Hokage - from knowing he could gain bloodlines by messing with his genetic coding! Orochimaru may have been insane, psychotic, sociopathic and downright creepy, but he was highly intelligent and followed the philosophy that 'what you don't know _can_ hurt you.' The more he knew - and the less others did - the better off he would be when he actually became a shinobi. "I suppose that's little more than wishful thinking though." Naruto held back from sighing in relief, and only nodded.

"Yes, unfortunately I can't just snatch up bloodlines like a pickpocket in a market." He replied with a calm he didn't feel. "Even if I _could_ it's not like I can just ask the Hyuuga to teach me how to use it. I'd have to keep it a secret from everyone in the clan for as long as possible. As it stands, I'd rather not let any of them know of the watered down version I have."

"You're thinking about all of this like some sort of veteran shinobi, aren't you?" Kurenai asked curiously, watching the boy with an analytical eye.

"Knowledge is power, hide it well. I heard that filthy snake utter it more than once. If they don't know about it, then they can't use it to try and influence me or my decisions, or try to use it against me. The less people that know of me and the less that people know about me, the less of a threat they pose to nii-san." The genjutsu mistress of Konoha looked at her student and was stuck somewhere between sympathy and pride in the boy.

"I think it's time we begin your lessons." She noted. "To begin with, we need to lay out a schedule. Given the Hokage has given your tutelage to me as a long-term mission, I won't be in and out of the village. That means I will be available to you four days a week - on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The weekends and Mondays are your free days to do as you wish, though I will stress that doing independent study and practicing what I give to you will be time well-spent. While it is true that you can't take the final exam until May 18, if we get through the Academy curriculum then I can begin to teach you things you would learn as a genin. I'm only responsible for laying the foundation of your training, but I wouldn't mind at all if I could give you more training than that, especially since I'm sure you'd like to be as prepared for shinobi life as possible."

"I agree, sensei. Did you have a particular schedule in mind then?" Naruto wondered, glad they were on a subject that wasn't his bloodline… bloodlines.

"Your days will be spent with two hours of physical training each morning starting at 6 am, followed by a quarter hour of rest. You will then spend another two hours doing theory, history, science, arithmetic and the like. After that, we'll spend an hour sparring, then an hour testing the limits and abilities of your bloodline. Lunch will follow, and after a half hour we'll resume with another two hours finishing your book lessons that day, and the last seventy-five minutes will be spend in practical lessons that I feel you could use work on. This means you will be with me from 6 am to 3 pm four days a week at the very least. Of course, so long as I am free for the day, I don't mind spending some extra time with you to help in areas you need help in. So, keep that in mind. Remember, the quicker you progress, the quicker we'll move on to the next lesson. With your eidetic memory, I don't doubt that we'll be finished well before the six-month deadline, but that's all up to how motivated you are."

"I understand, sensei. I will do my best. Given today is Monday, I assume you have something special in mind as tomorrow will be my first actual day of classes?" Kurenai nodded.

"I would like to get a feeling for your ability in your practical skills, so I'll give you a mock mission that should test them well enough. Meet me at Training Ground 12 as quickly as you can and you will receive your first objective." With that, she disappeared. There was no swirl of leaves, no rush of wind, she simply stopped being there.

Naruto shook his head and looked towards the southeast, where Training Ground 12 would be located, and closed his eyes. "Secrets will be harder to keep now that I'm dealing with a Jounin. I need to be more careful…" He mumbled as his Byakugan activated momentarily. His vision opened up once more as he extended his range to the full hundred meters he'd gained with copious amounts of practice and tweaking of his cells over the last month. He couldn't see Kurenai anywhere, which meant she really had left.

With that in mind, he noted his new attire he had picked up somewhere along the last two months. The blue shirt had been traded in for a black, sleeveless shirt and an unzipped, red vest he wore over it. He had also taken to wearing red shorts. Both his shoes and his gloves were no longer present since he had hardened the skin on both to the point wearing them would've been redundant. On the back of his vest, there were two vertical slits that seemed out of place on the otherwise pristine outfit. Their purpose was made apparent as he shifted and replicated his cells until a pair of red and black-feathered wings grew out of his back that caused him to resemble some sort of miniature angel.

Using chakra and manipulation of his lower body, Naruto strengthened his legs enough to allow him to launch several dozen meters into the air, allowing his wings to take care of the rest as he arrived at the proper location within less than a minute of his takeoff, despite it being several dozen kilometers away from where he started. It was so quick, in fact, that he surprised Kurenai with his arrival. She looked at his wings before they retracted back into his body and hummed.

"So, you can emulate traits of animals if you know their cellular structure, is that right?" Naruto nodded his head. "That's actually quite an advantage you have. It could even make this first objective much easier for you." Naruto noticed a scroll in his sensei's hand about a moment before she tossed it to him, forcing him to catch it. "I know your eidetic memory grants you a certain amount of advantage in learning, but memorization is the lowest form of intelligence. I need to find out just how clever you can be, in addition to your physical ability. Inside that scroll is the first clue to your mission. You have until sundown to completely arrive at the final location with that scroll as well as the objects you'll find on your way. Good luck." With that, Kurenai disappeared once more in her strange version of shunshin.

Noting the sun's placement on the horizon, Naruto decided he may as well get to it and opened up the scroll. "It's a riddle… of course it's a riddle. She's a genjutsu mistress, so I suppose it makes sense to hide the clue behind words." Scanning over the contents he pondered their meaning. "Where they cry, bones rattle; husks like scabbards left in their wake; hear the cries of battle and make sure to get a fang true in its make." The redhead sighed in exasperation, noting that his sensei would not be pulling any punches with him. Looking at the sun's position once more, he saw that it was barely even dawn. He had all day, but there was no telling how many clues there might be.

Sitting down in a lotus position, he looked at the scroll once more, reading the kanji. Focusing on his brain cells, the boy forced them to work overdrive by fueling more electricity into them. "When they cry… cry… cries of battle…" He mumbled to himself. "Husks… scabbards… true fang…" This continued for several minutes as he forced himself to think about the riddle. "It has to be a location, possibly something with a lot of noise, or referencing something that does. What makes a lot of noise and leaves husks…" He pondered the first two lines further. "Cicadas maybe… but that doesn't help. They leave their husks on trees…" He widened his eyes as everything suddenly clicked into place and remembered something he'd heard from under the village. "The Chuunin Exams… its second round takes place in that forest and the genin have to fight each other, which would explain the bones rattling. Well, it's as good as anywhere to start." He noted while standing, tucking the scroll into his vest as he took flight again.

It didn't take long for Naruto to locate the fenced in Forest of Death and landed on one of the treetops. Once more, his Byakugan activated - he was sure it would become a habit if he wasn't careful - as he scanned the immense area the best he could. His curiosity rose as he noted a single chakra signature down below. Deactivating the eyes, he jumped from his spot and began to leap from branch to branch until he could get a good look at what was going on. From the looks of it, a genin was cornered by a trio of wolves the size of small horses, kunai in hand and heavily injured. He pondered the situation only for a moment as he thought what Yamato would want him to do and slipped a kunai into his right hand, three shuriken in his left.

When he jumped, the shuriken had already left his hand and found their marks in the back of all three of the necks. His kunai plunged into the eye socket of the rightmost one as he landed atop it before he quickly jumped off. "Run, idiot!" Naruto commanded as his nails grew, skin hardening into an exoskeleton and gaining a slightly reddish tint. The girl nodded and took off as Naruto was faced with the injured canines. They looked at him, glaring even, as they paced, trying to flank him.

Suddenly, the center one lunged forward to bite him, but the boy jumped over it and threw more shuriken into its back, watching as blood began to mat its fur in four new places. Growling became mixed with a low whine. Landing behind the three, Naruto quickly formed a new organ in his throat before spitting out a glob of shining liquid that was nearly translucent. It just so happened the wolf who only had a shuriken in the back of its neck was coming forward at the time and howled in agony when the substance hit its face. Even as the combatants watched, the wolf's face began smoking and burning. With a final, low and whiny howl the wolf collapsed to the ground. The other two looked at the boy before turning tail and running, leaving him alone once more.

However, as Naruto watched, the 'dead' wolf disappeared in a cloud of smoke and the 'genin' appeared from behind a tree. Actually, the genin was in a Jounin uniform and now looked more like an adult now that Naruto got a good look. She had black hair tied up in a tight bun behind her head, a pair of dark eyes and ivory skin that contrasted harshly against both. "Well, well, well, Kurenai-san certainly wasn't lying when she said helping her would be interesting. Hello, I am Kuroga Kanae, first cousin to the head of the Kuroga clan and current clan heir. Kurenai wished me to help her in this little… assessment of your skills." Naruto nodded, still very surprised.

"Kuroga… I'm guessing the fang is something related to you?" Kanae nodded.

"Yep, in exchange for beating back three of my Summons and 'saving' a comrade, your prize is this." She tossed something to Naruto, who caught it. Analyzing it, he noted it was a wakizashi in its scabbard. The scabbard bore the kanji for 'true fang' while the hilt bore a wolf's head carved into its center. "That's your proof to Kurenai that you passed my test. Also, check your scroll for the next clue."

Placing the weapon on the floor as he knelt, he opened the scroll and found, to his amazement, that there was more text. The first line on the right still read the same, but another line had appeared. "Greatness is born, not bred; Even the casteless can rise to King; Overcoming death and dread, your next stop is the leader's Ring." He spoke, which caused Kanae to sweatdrop.

"Wow, she really doesn't pull any punches. What was the clue to come find me?" Naruto told her and she whistled lowly. "I'm surprised you even figured it out, let alone found me. That woman is a bit too clever for her own good. I'd help you but… I've never been very good at wordplay."

"Thank you for the offer, Kanae-san. I appreciate it." She nodded. "I should be able to do this though. I don't wish to take anymore of your time." Kanae smiled and saluted him before disappearing in a swirl of leaves. "Now, let's see… this one is a bit more tricky…" Pondering over it for a few minutes, he closed his eyes. As he did, he pictured the village based on memory, knowing it was a perfect map thanks to his eidetic memory. "Let me see… there's a lot more in this one to think about. I think its talking about some sort of trial that has to be overcome. What sort of trials do shinobi have to overcome though?" He thought a moment. "The Leader's Ring could be talking about the Hokage, but I don't think that's quite right since the Old Man was never casteless…"

Naruto thought before humming. "Minato was casteless though, and he rose to be the King. Problem is that he doesn't have a ring that I can think of. Maybe not an actual ring though, what about… an arena? An arena where even the casteless can prove themselves stronger than clan ninja… where leaders are born, but not bred? You have to overcome both threat of death and some sort of dread…" The redhead's eyes lit up as he smirked and quickly took flight once more.

Above the clouds, he looked down upon the village with his Byakugan before finding his target, and spotted a single chakra signature at the location. Deactivating them - Kurenai knowing was already one too many - he sped towards the Chuunin Examination Tournament Arena, landing in front of the shinobi. "Ah, it seems you already passed Kanae's test, Naruto-kun." The man stated. Giving him a once over, Naruto noted that he wore the Jounin uniform too, with a pair of round sunglasses over his eyes and a bandana with his metal plate instead of a headband. "I am Ebisu. Kurenai has asked me to assess your skills in general combat against another shinobi. You do not need to defeat me, only prove that your combat skills are of an adequate level so she knows what to teach you." He professed, to which Naruto nodded. "I will grant you the first strike, begin when ready."

"I can use anything, given this is general combat, correct?" Naruto wondered. Ebisu, adjusted his glasses slightly before nodding once. With that, the Jounin and apprentice each took their own stance. Naruto took the time to prepare, given the fight didn't start until he was ready. His flesh hardened and took on that slightly reddish tone once more, his nails extended into claws, wings grew from his back and a new appendage formed behind him, a bright red scorpion tail with a dangerously sharp barbed tip - all of these thanks to some experimentation Orochimaru had done. Instead of looking on in fear at the strange traits Naruto exhibited, Ebisu only let a small smirk touch his lips.

With a burst of chakra, Naruto launched forward at the Jounin, who dodged his initial claw swipe with ease. Spinning around the child, he landed a kick to the boy's back that sent him forward before making a handseal. **"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"** Two copies of the Jounin appeared and rushed forward while he began a new string of handseals. Naruto widened his eyes and jumped up high, keeping aloft thanks to his wings. Diving downward, he spit out globs of acid at one clone, causing it to erupt into smoke. The liquid that missed was melting through even the concrete floor, which was something Ebisu's other clone noticed.

The remaining clone launched several kunai at the flying chimaera of a creature that Naruto had become, which he dodged with a barrel roll. Diving once more, he attempted to take down the other clone with a strike of his tail, but was suddenly hit. **"Water Style: Water Trumpet Jutsu!"** The original announced. He hit the ground and began rolling several times before he finally righted himself once more. Looking at the remaining duo, Naruto's tail flicked back and forth several times. No words were spoken between the combatants as they fought. One was analysing and the other was concentrating too hard.

Naruto decided it was time to attempt a new tactic and forced the cells in his arms to split rapidly until he had several tentacle-like tendrils attached to them. Rushing forward again, he used the hardened tentacles to bat away any shuriken and kunai that were sent at him. Not knowing who was the clone and who was the original anymore, the boy just attacked one of them. A claw swipe across the unexposed left arm of a surprised Ebisu and it erupted into smoke. Unfortunately, now Naruto was temporarily unable to look around him given he couldn't activate his Byakugan.

Quickly, he rose skyward and it seemed to be a good idea given not a moment later, Ebisu had sent several small fireballs at the place he had been. Retracting his tentacles back into his arm, Naruto converted the cells into sharpened bone shuriken that was coated in poison on each tip, three in each hand. Rushing down again, he launched them at his opponent, who easily dodged them with a Replacement. The boy looked around quickly, trying to find the man who had seemingly disappeared.

Activating his Dogkin, Naruto heard vibrations in the earth a moment before Ebisu emerged, several shuriken coming his way as well as a command. **"Shadow Shuriken Clone Jutsu!"** Several became several _hundred_ and he couldn't possibly dodge them all. Causing his tentacles to emerge as quickly as he could, he had them bat away as many as possible, though still couldn't help but sustain several cuts to his body. Of course, his Uzumaki genetics began healing them soon enough, but if it wasn't for that…

Jounin certainly were on a level he hadn't anticipated. Ebisu didn't even have _one_ bloodline and he was likely holding back on top of that. The longer this dragged out, the worse off he would be. Still, he couldn't just give up… he had to get strong enough to protect Yamato!

Diving down at the still airborne Ebisu, Naruto retracted his wings and began to spin in midair as rapidly as he could. Pointing his hands forward, claws extended, he became a drill not unlike the Inuzuka's Tsuga and completely _destroyed_ the log that Ebisu replaced himself with. His wings quickly materialized again and he caught himself a few centimeters from touching the ground before chasing after the Jounin. Ebisu saw the tenacity that Naruto was now using and he couldn't help but smile.

"Alright, I think I've seen enough." The Jounin stated, which caused Naruto to stop suddenly, his claw only a centimeter from Ebisu's face. He lowered it, looking at the man. "I have enough to give Kurenai my assessment of your abilities. I have to say though, you're definitely above any Academy student right now from what I've seen. I am curious though, what caused you to ramp up your efforts in the last bit?"

Naruto thought about if he should tell the man, but saw no harm in it. "I realized that, even without a bloodline and obviously holding back that you were leagues above me." He stated. "If someone like that can beat me so soundly, then I have a lot of work I have to do if I'm going to protect nii-san. I can't give up, I just have to do my best in everything so that I can be strong enough to battle any threat to aniki." Ebisu nodded and smiled before handing the boy what appeared to be kunai crafted from a white metal.

"That is your proof to Kurenai that you passed my trial." He explained. "Your next trial will be the last before you meet with her again. I wish you the best of luck." Naruto nodded and bowed to the man, who bowed his head slightly before leaving in a swirl of leaves. Once more Naruto was alone as he opened the scroll and read over the third - and newest - line.

"Where it began, I await; Something precious taken; Find me before it's too late; The cage where nightmares awaken." For once, Naruto didn't need to even think about this one. He instantly understood exactly where he was supposed to go, though the second line did confuse him as to what precious thing could be taken. The only thing he held precious was… but no, she wouldn't.

Naruto left so fast that it was surprising he hadn't broken the sound barrier.

When he finally arrived at the entrance to Orochimaru's secret base, he could get down to the fifth floor fast enough. Fear was shown heavily in his eyes as he went straight for where the cage once was. And there he saw Yamato with wide eyes, bound and gagged on the floor with a kunoichi he didn't recognize having her back to him, sword poised to strike. Naruto didn't even need any sort of time to think before he rushed forward, knocking the kunoichi to the floor and straddling her. His sharpened claws drew copious amounts of blood as he ripped out her throat to protect his nii-san, or would have, if it hadn't been a simple mud clone.

Turning around, he looked for the true one as he rushed to Yamato's side. "Don't worry, Yamato-nii, I'll keep you safe…" He stated in a low growl as he freed his brother's hands and feet, before cutting the gag. Yamato looked thankful, but Naruto felt something… off about the whole thing. Jumping back, he witnessed 'Yamato' slash at him with a hidden blade that would've been a killing blow to most, possibly even to him. "You're not nii-san." Naruto stated in a dead tone.

Silent was the assailant as he launched forward to attack Naruto once more. The boy ducked under the slash and forced his left arm to become akin to a constrictor's body, lengthening and wrapping around the assassin, squeezing tightly. The look-a-like could not move and quickly dispersed into smoke after enough pressure was exerted. _"Well, it seems you actually passed."_ Naruto heard a voice from all directions, unable to pinpoint its source. _"I will not reveal myself, given you may try to kill me. I was meant to test your psychological defenses, your ability to adapt and your reaction to an assassin in wait. Do not blame Kurenai, for this is the scenario I wished to give you with the parameters Kurenai provided me with. Your sign of my approval will be waiting for you back on the first floor by the door. Good luck."_

When the voice stopped, Naruto took a deep breath. He had lost control of his emotions… but Yamato was in no danger. That's all that mattered, nii-san was safe. He waited a few minutes before heading upstairs and finding a flower of all things. He didn't know exactly what kind, but he was going to look into it.

Naruto then stepped outside and looked up, noting the sun was getting further west. It was likely already two or three hours after noon. He had been at this all day. Still, if Ebisu was telling the truth - and there was no reason for him to lie - then Naruto should be finished in time for dinner with Yamato-nii. Opening the scroll again, he looked at the fourth - and hopefully final - line. "The end comes quicker than we hope; Our lives were short but grand in scope; Find me at the highest of courts. I think that Kurenai-sensei just likes getting more and more vague with each riddle…" Naruto mumbled with a sweatdrop. Still, there weren't many possible options and he thought he was getting a sense for how Kurenai structured her clues. "End could mean death, retirement or reaching the farthest point. Short lives that are grand and a high court… there's really only one place that Kurenai could be speaking of. The Grand Council Room in the Hokage Tower."

Within minutes, Naruto found himself in the Hokage Tower and made his way towards the Council Chambers. Given there was no meeting today, it was open, though under constant surveillance for anyone that went inside. He didn't particularly mind that, especially since he had just traveled by rooftop here. There was no way that he was giving anyone knowledge of his abilities unless necessary.

Walking inside, Naruto found the Old Man and Kurenai both standing within. Walking up to the Jounin, he handed her the scroll, blade, kunai and flower. Kurenai looked at them before smiling slightly. "It seems as if you have passed my assessment with hours to spare. I will be speaking to those three later to gain an accurate assessment of your abilities and have a lesson for you by tomorrow. You are free to do as you wish for the rest of the day." Naruto nodded and bowed his head.

"Thank you, sensei. I will see you tomorrow." With that, the boy walked back out. He wanted to go see Yamato after that third test… just to make sure no one hurt him.


	3. Chapter III: A Few Surprises

**More Than Human**

 **Chapter III:**

 **[Konohagakure Academy]**

As Naruto entered the Academy for the first time in six months - hopefully for the last time - he couldn't help but notice that hardly anything had changed. Well, except for him, that is. He had changed quite a bit in the last six months. Even in terms of appearance, he doubted any would recognize him. To start with, there was no reason for anyone to suspect him of being that six year old child he was before given he had taken Kurenai's advice. He currently looked around the same age as the other graduates and, for all intents and purposes, he _was_ twelve. By manipulating his cells, he had simulated growth and forced his body to grow extremely quickly. While it had injured him for a time, his Uzumaki healing took care of any issues and he was up and running after a two day coma. Yamato had apparently freaked out quite a bit…

Aside from the difference in age, Naruto also changed his look. His red hair was set in spikes meant to emulate Minato Namikaze (because he just loved the thought of messing with Orochimaru) and his eyes were now purple thanks to a pair of contacts he wore. The contacts were important, as they allowed him to utilize his dojutsu without anyone seeing a difference in his eyes. He was still trying to find a way to get rid of that little quirk of the dojutsu changing his eyes on activation but nothing so far…

Aside from that, he also had made alterations to his outfit, finding weaknesses in its previous state over his training with Kurenai. While having exposed skin was nice for getting new genetic code, being cut by steel _really_ hurt. With that in mind, he now wore dark-colored and sleeveless haori opened to show the dark red, nearly black long-sleeved shirt underneath. Over either hand were fingerless gloves with armored plating covering the back of his hands up to the middle of his forearm, while his shoulders were coated by pauldrons that reached down over his upper arm. He also wore a pair of ANBU-like pants that were also plated with armor as well as holding a few ninja pouches for different tools. He still wore no shoes however, as some habits were hard to break. Looking closely, one could note that every piece of armor he wore was engraved, but only one that was properly educated would recognize them as seals.

To further add to his new look, a ninjato was strapped to one side of his waist. While Kurenai hadn't taught him how to use that, she _had_ convinced one of her friends - an ANBU named Uzuki Yuugao - to help him with kenjutsu. He wasn't sure if it was due to the Uzumaki bloodline or his eidetic memory but he picked it up quickly enough. More importantly, he found that he actually liked it as an art.

His training had actually gone by rather smoothly, if Kurenai's bragging was any indication, though that wasn't the most important thing that he had learn over the last six months. Not even close.

 **[Flashback - April 14, Hokage's Office]**

Not a moment after knocking on the Hokage's door, Naruto heard the invitation to enter. He complied rather easily and noted that the Old Man was accompanied by someone that appeared to be a doctor of some sort. "Good morning Old Man, sensei." Naruto greeted the two.

"Thank you for responding to the summons so quickly, Naruto. This is Sakamoto-sensei, a doctor who works within the ANBU and performs tasks of a… secretive nature when necessary. His work only ever reaches my ears, and now yours. In this instance, anyways, it does." Naruto looked at Sakamoto in curiosity before nodding. "Sakamoto-sensei, if you would."

"Ah, of course. When Yamato-san and yourself were recovered, we had to perform several medical tests if you recall?" Naruto nodded. "One of these was a blood test to determine how the experiments had affected you as well as to find out if your parents could be identified. Yamato-san's genetics were too skewed for us to do anything but identify that he was likely the bastard child of a Senju Clan member, though we can't be sure which one exactly. You, however… it was almost _too_ easy to figure it out. I re-checked all of my results before informing Hokage-sama and then over the last few months I've been doing everything in my power to find a way to explain it away. After so much work, I have to state that the results were conclusive. You did not just take on the name of Uzumaki Naruto, you _are_ Uzumaki Naruto." Sakamoto explained. "You are the lost child of Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina, heir to the Uzumaki and Senju Clans, third jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune and Crown Prince of Uzu no Kuni."

The redhead couldn't help it as his eyes widened. He certainly had not expected _this_ to be the subject matter of the meeting with the Hokage. Hiruzen was silent and allowed the boy some time to take it all in. "I see… alright, I'm certainly glad you informed me of this. I'm going to assume you have further things to tell me, Old Man?" Hiruzen smiled at how perceptive the boy was and nodded.

"Several things, actually. Your status as heir and as jinchuuriki is a secret only the three of us know and I'd like to keep it that way. At least, until we can be sure that you have enough strength to protect yourself, and Yamato-san, from any threats that might be brought up. For that reason, I hope you understand why I say that you should keep from telling _anyone_ of either one until you're at least a Jounin."

Naruto thought about what he was told for a small amount of time, appreciating the quiet that both of the adults gave him to go over what he would be told. "While there are many benefits to taking the titles, I will concede that the risks are too great given my current skillset and inexperience. I will honor your request until I have reached A-rank in skill, a high A-rank specifically." Hiruzen nodded his head. "Still, I would like to thank you for sharing this information with me, Old Man."

"There is one more thing you should be aware of. I know that you have exceptional emotional control as it stands, but I'm going to have to ask you to not allow yourself the privilege of any emotions that are too extreme, especially negative ones such as rage or hatred." At the blank look Naruto gave him, Hiruzen explained. "Given you are the lost son of our former Hokage and former jinchuuriki and on the night that the Kyuubi attacked Konoha Minato had planned to lock it up, we have reason to believe you hold it. If it didn't show up the entire time you were with Orochimaru, I imagine that you have a strong enough rein on your emotions that it can't get its claws into you. Still, I would like to have someone I trust help you in utilizing any abilities you might gain by having the beast at your disposal."

"Ah, so I'm the jinchuuriki as well?" Naruto asked, his usual emotional calm present even at that revelation. While the matter of his heritage had surprised, being told he was little more than a weapon for the village was nothing surprising. That's all he had ever been; he was the sword that struck down threats to Yamato and the shield that protected the fragile stability of their existence. "Yes, I agree that unlocking the abilities of the Kyuubi would be a good idea. Thank you."

"Of course, Naruto. If there is anything you would like to know about your parents or their families do not hesitate to drop by. I could surely use the distraction from my paperwork." Hiruzen finished. Naruto nodded and turned, leaving the office. He had much to think about.

 **[Flashback End]**

And think he did. After much internal debate, he finally decided to wait until he was stronger to tell Yamato. It wasn't something that immediately affected them and he didn't want to put his brother in unnecessary danger by revealing a shinobi secret he didn't need to know. Meanwhile, his training with Kurenai carried on as if it was the same. For her, it likely was. For him, that was an entirely different matter altogether.

He spent as much of his free time as he could looking into both the Yellow Flash and the Red Death, as well as anything he could find on their families. He had quite a bit of Kushina's genetic material and even traces left of Minato's within his own body, so isolating them wasn't _overly_ difficult. That said, since he only had the other samples of genetic material he'd gathered manually to compare them against, his pool was limited. Interestingly enough, when he was comparing he found that Minato was most _definitely_ a Senju, or a half-Senju more accurately. When compared to Yamato's source of Hashirama's genetic coding, it was all too obvious that both of them shared the First Hokage as a shared ancestor.

Kushina was a different matter entirely. There was nothing in his bank that brought any sort of clues on her ancestry aside from some very far apart common ancestors that seemed to be from centuries back. Even then, it was difficult to figure out in anything but the vaguest sense what said common ancestor might have been given the small amount of coding that he was sure was common. There was the highest amount of similarities between the Senju, Uchiha, Hyuuga and Uzumaki genetics, but he couldn't tell everything about their shared ancestor except it was someone he had no interest in fighting given the sheer _power_ an individual like that would have. Even then, it seemed he was still missing a good chunk of that particular genetic profile, which scared him even more.

Holding back a shudder, Naruto found himself drawn back to reality as one of the Chuunin sensei entered the room and began explaining the Genin Exam. One written exam that comprised of a multiple choice test and an essay; one taijutsu test in the form of a three-minute spar against another sensei; one genjutsu test in the form of breaking a low-level illusion; one ninjutsu test in the form of performing the Kawarimi, the Henge and the Bushin no Jutsu; one accuracy test in the form of ten targets and ten projectiles being shuriken, kunai or senbon with the tester making the choice of which; and one extra credit portion for all of the practical exams if they were able to perform something above and beyond in taijutsu, genjutsu or ninjutsu.

It was all rather simple. Naruto saw no reason to hold himself back since his goal was to be promoted and gain strength as quickly as possible. If he could get a high enough score, perhaps he'd get a particularly skilled sensei. He wasn't overly interested in genjutsu, but even Kurenai could be a good potential sensei given the connections she had with other, more skilled Jounin and her willingness to enlist help in areas she wasn't advanced in. When the written exam reached Naruto, he let those thoughts die. Pen in hand, he began to answer things from memory. In all honesty, his eidetic memory was only too useful. It almost made the experiments worth it. Almost.

 **[Hokage Office]**

Hiruzen sighed as he went through yet another sheet of paperwork. He currently found himself going through the reports of the genin exams. The frustration on his face softened as he noted the name on the next report: Uzumaki Naruto. _Hm…_ He hummed with the thought. _This should be interesting_.

 _Student: Uzumaki Naruto_

 _Written Exam: Naruto passed with absolutely no wrong answers on his multiple choice exam and his essay was clear, concise and full of information that is beyond what a genin is required to know. There was no instance of cheating from what we could tell as the students around him scored only average or slightly above average on the multiple choice exam and mediocre on the essay, at best._

 _Accuracy Exam: Utilizing ten shuriken, Naruto was able to hit all the hardest to reach targets and scored perfectly. We are still unsure how he knew where they all were given he has no recorded dojutsu._

 _Taijutsu Exam: Facing off against Mizuki-sensei, Naruto was able to knock him out of the arena within fifteen seconds. He scored full marks for this exam._

 _Genjutsu Exam: Not only did Naruto break out of his illusion, he cast the Demonic Illusion: Earth Swallowing Beast on the instructor who was testing him. He claimed it was his 'extra credit' portion. Where he learned such a dangerous technique is beyond the scope of our knowledge though._

 _Ninjutsu Exam: Naruto perfectly used the Kawarimi with a log, the Henge to become Mizuki-sensei and the Bushin. Thankfully, he didn't do anything extra for this portion of the exam. Mizuki-sensei and I aren't sure if we could handle much more._

Hiruzen couldn't help but chuckle as he read the report. It seemed that Kurenai had done a very fine job at teaching Naruto. A very fine job indeed. He expected Naruto to be competent in every subject, but to excel in all areas after only six months? This was far beyond what he could have hoped for in his wildest dreams! He would need to give that woman something special for all her hard work. Naruto too, for that matter.

Setting that down in the pile, the old man began to ponder how he would assign the genius on a genin team. While placing him with other genin would certainly help socialize young Naruto, it might also stunt his growth by needing to move at a level they could keep up with. If he apprenticed him, he would be able to move at whatever pace he wished, but might become even more withdrawn from society and untrusting. Truth be told, he didn't imagine that Kurenai was the right pick for him as a Jounin sensei. She was wonderful for teaching the basics, but genjutsu didn't exactly… complement the boy's bloodline as much as he'd like.

The thought led to another that made Hiruzen smile ever so slightly. If he was looking for something to complement the bloodline, taijutsu might not be a bad place to start. That said, he didn't want to neglect Naruto's ninjutsu, as he seemed to have real talent from the reports Kurenai had sent. Decisions, decisions. There was someone perfect for taijutsu, but lacking in ninjutsu. There was someone perfect for ninjutsu, but lacking in taijutsu. There was someone for both, but lacking in emotional stability. He _could_ break tradition and place Naruto in an apprenticeship program under multiple shinobi, but that might cause people to become suspicious since he hadn't done that for Kakashi or even Itachi.

Thinking on it, Hiruzen sighed. "This really shouldn't be so hard." He muttered. "I just don't want to fail you. I want to make sure your son is strong enough to protect not only himself and Yamato, but the village and our Will of Fire." He stated heavily while looking at a photo on his desk of Minato and a pregnant Kushina. Truth be told, the last time Hiruzen felt this level of turmoil in picking a Jounin sensei for a genin had been Minato himself. His decision there had been apprenticeship to a Sannin given that seemed to be the only right course of action for someone as talented as him.

Hm… there was a thought. Jiraiya wouldn't work though. Orochimaru was gone. There was always Tsunade. He knew where she was and she _might_ come back if he told her about him. Then again, with her… particular relationship and past with Orochimaru might cause all sorts of problems. The problem was Naruto was far too skilled to be a _normal_ genin, but he lacked experience to be anything else. Unless…

 _There is always_ that _path._ The thought sent him down an entirely different line of thinking. It hadn't been done since the time of his own sensei, but it was still _technically_ a law he could utilize. It wasn't even a question of if it was a good idea. It would allow Naruto to both excel in every area he wanted and to socialize him – albeit in a professional way and not as a child, but still. Yes, that would work. Ringing for his secretary, Hiruzen spoke. "Sayaka, could you send a messenger for Uzuki Yugao and inform her I have need of her."

"Of course, Hokage-sama."


End file.
